Miscommunication
by Porthos1013
Summary: A series of miscommunications leads to some confusing developments. McWeir
1. Miscommunication

Author: Porthos  
Summary: A series of miscommunications leads to some confusing developments.  
Spoilers: Up through The Gift.  
Author's notes: I got the idea for this from conversations on GW about what would make McKay and Weir admit their feelings for each other. I wanted a way for them to admit their feelings without actually thinking they're admitting them…or something. :D

I'd also like to thank Cali (aaobuttons) for being a superb beta, and for putting up with my terrible grammar much better than my English teachers ever did! ;)

oOo

Part 1: Mixed Signals

I had to admit, today was shaping up to be a pretty good day. Despite the sense of doom and gloom that accompanied the impending Wraith attack, the crew seemed to be in relatively high spirits. Teyla had even invited me on one of our regular walks. If nothing else, it provided a welcome distraction from my usual mid-afternoon mound of paperwork. "I'm very grateful you came to see me today, Teyla, but didn't you and Major Sheppard have a training session planned for this afternoon?"

"We did," Teyla nodded, "but it was postponed when Lt. Ford mentioned a problem with the communication devices. I believe he said something about only getting bits and pieces of the incoming messages. He and Major Sheppard are going through them right now to determine which devices are in working order for our mission tomorrow."

"Nice to see he's taking such an initiative," I said. "It wouldn't do for your team to be off world and get your signals crossed." At Teyla's frown, I knew she needed an explanation for that particular phrase. I was concentrating on finding one when I nearly bumped into Rodney and Dr. Heightmeyer rounding a corner.

Rodney's eyes went wide. "Elizabeth!" he let out in a high pitched voice.

"Rodney," I said, my voice teasing. "You don't act happy to see me."

"No, I mean I am, it's just that…Aren't you supposed to be…Why are you in the medical wing?"

"I could be asking you the same question." Try as I might, I couldn't hide my smile at his stunned expression. Rodney only got this flustered when he thought he was caught and about to get in trouble. I silently wondered whose powerbars he'd been swiping. Given our location, I'd suspect it was Carson's. That reminds me, I should probably double-check my own stash when I get back to my office. Rodney has been lurking around there a lot lately…

At Rodney's embarrassed look, I decided to let him off the hook. "Teyla and I were just going for a walk," I answered his earlier question.

Teyla nodded in agreement, and smiled. "Dr. McKay, Dr. Heightmeyer, it is good to see you both."

"How are you feeling, Teyla?" Dr. Heightmeyer smiled softly.

"I am sleeping well, thank you."

"Kate and I just happened to bump into each other," Rodney cast a quick glance to Dr. Heightmeyer, which she returned. "We were each on our way to the mess hall, uh, separately, for lunch. We saw each other and just decided, uh, off the cuff, to go together," he finished, still slightly nervous.

"Well, don't let us interrupt. I'd hate to have to come between you and the mess hall at lunch-time."

Rodney must have been distracted. It took him a minute before he caught on. "Hey!" he said defensively, "Fine, laugh if you must, but hypoglycemic shock is just another of the numerous perils I deal with daily, in an alien city that we know nearly nothing about, and if anything should happen to me then who will you get to run this city? Hmm?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Funny," I said, "I thought that was my job." After Rodney had opened, then shut, his mouth a few times, I decided to shoo him along. "Get something sweet, Rodney. I think your blood sugar's low."

With a half mumbled, "Good good," Rodney shuffled off. I glanced over my shoulder, and I noticed Dr. Heightmeyer had placed her hand reassuringly on Rodney's shoulder, and seemed to be whispering something to him.

Turning back to Teyla, I mustered as much objectivity as I could and remarked, "Rodney and Dr. Heightmeyer certainly seem to have gotten close."

Without breaking stride, Teyla replied, "I would suspect they have become close since they began seeing each other."

I came to a dead stop. Teyla turned to face me, a concerned look on her face. "Wait," I said, "Rodney is seeing Dr. Heightmeyer?"

Teyla's eyes widened in realization. "You did not know," she stated. "I am sorry, I had assumed since you are his close friend he would have told you."

"No." I only somewhat successfully hid the hurt in my voice. "No. He didn't."

"Then I have betrayed a confidence." Teyla bowed her head. "I am deeply ashamed. I must seek Dr. McKay's forgiveness." Raising her head, she said, "Please excuse me, Dr. Weir."

Before she could rush off after Rodney, I managed to stop her. "Actually, Teyla, I would like to speak to him first, if that's okay." I tried to sound as reassuring as I could, under the circumstances. "We actually have rules about this sort of thing," I offered by way of explanation.

Teyla seemed to consider this, finally deciding it was acceptable. "Then I will go to my quarters to contemplate my apology. You will let me know when it is I may speak with him?" she asked. At my nod, she turned to go.

As she walked away, I decided to return to my office and think about what I would say to Rodney. No wonder he was acting so strangely before, he knew about the no fraternization rule as it stands in Atlantis. Of course, I suppose I could turn a blind eye, as I had in other clandestine romances on Atlantis. I cast another glance at Teyla's retreating form. But I somehow didn't think I could in this case.

As a diplomat, I must always evaluate the motives that lie behind every action. It's a practice I rarely use on myself, however. If I was being honest with myself, I would have realized that I was acting out of jealousy. I'd been aware of my feelings for the snarky scientist for quite some time, but I had put them aside. I figured they could be dealt with later, when we were all safely settled into Atlantis, and the threat of the Wraith was behind us. And of course, there had been Simon to consider. But I suppose I had put off my feelings for too long, and Rodney had gotten tired of waiting for me, if he had ever been waiting at all. So if I was being honest, my decision to enforce the no fraternization rule was motivated out of envy and regret for a lost opportunity. But I decided not to be honest with myself, and instead chose to believe that I made the decision based on my role as leader of Atlantis, and my duty to uphold the rules of Earth.

oOo  
Author's notes: Okay, parts 2 and 3 are on their way, but in the meantime let me know what you think about this. :)


	2. Mixed Signals

Author's notes: In this part, the POV starts switching between Elizabeth and Rodney. Since it's only the two of them talking, it will hopefully be clear whose POV it is, but all switches will be broken up with oOo.

I'd also like to thank the vague pronoun "we," to which this chapter owes so much. :)

Okay folks, I know it's been, well, forever…I still don't have this done, because I haven't fixed everything that my lovely beta Cali suggested, so (eventually) it might get updated, but it's just been sitting on my hard drive for so long I'd like to get it out there for you guys to read. I wish I had time to update my other WIPs, but you guys are just going to have to bear with my as I slog through the crap that is currently my life. 

oOo

Part 2: Miscommunication

"Elizabeth, you wanted to see me?" Rodney poked his head into my office, looking simultaneously delighted and terrified. I smiled inwardly. Only Rodney could manage that combination.

"Rodney, please come in." I motioned to the chair across from my desk. "Have a seat, and shut the door behind you please."

He did as instructed, looking like he had been sent to the principal's office and didn't know why. "Is everything all right, Elizabeth?"

This wasn't going to be easy, so I took a deep breath, folded my hands on my desk, and met his eyes. "No Rodney, I'm afraid it's not." Before he could jump in, I continued, "It's been brought to my attention that you've developed feelings for a certain member of our expedition."

If it was at all possible, I would have said that Rodney had seen a Wraith sneak up behind me. He paled considerably, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. He was speechless for several moments, before he finally asked, "Who told you?"

oOo

My mind scrambled. There had only been one person I had told about my growing feelings for Elizabeth. But Kate? I suppose you could say I've seen more than my fair share of therapists. The combination of genius and boredom in a child can manifest itself in some rather creative ways, but my parents somehow labeled me as disturbed instead of recognizing my inherent brilliance. In any case, I'm fairly familiar with the process, so I was certain things like a cripplingly embarrassing crush on your boss were covered in the doctor-patient privilege. Kate couldn't have tipped her off. "Who told you?" I asked.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say," Elizabeth answered.

"Well, I'm certainly glad someone's privacy is being protected," I spat. "It seems everyone else on Atlantis has a right to privacy except for me. I only told one person!" I held up my finger for emphasis. "And she can't have told you, it's against the rules!"

Elizabeth looked at me quizzically, probably upset by my outburst. Well, tough. "Rodney, I realize the Athosians take friendship and loyalty very seriously, but I hardly think you can accuse Teyla of—"

"Teyla knows?" I interrupted, my mind reeling. Again with the quizzical look from Elizabeth. What is she so confused about? I'm the one who needs to figure out who's elected themselves Grand High Gossipmonger.

"Of course she knows," Elizabeth answered carefully.

At this, I slumped into my chair, admitting defeat. How on Earth or Atlantis could I get myself out of this? "Is there anyone on Atlantis that doesn't know?"

Elizabeth came around her desk and sat next to me. "Oh, I'm sure there's someone," she said, placing a hand on my arm. "I think you've done a pretty good job of hiding it. I didn't know until just a short time ago."

"Really?" I asked, a little baffled. How could she not know how special she is to me? Okay, so I'll be the first to admit I'm not exactly campaigning to be crowned Mr. Sensitive, but I've tried to show her how I feel. I've always tried to be there for her when the weight of responsibility was getting to be too much, or when she just needed someone to talk to. And not just the big, heroic things, although I've performed miracles on more than one occasion, if I do say so myself. No, it's also the little things. I bring her coffee when she's in her office late at night. I distract her with my latest brilliant discovery when she's waiting for a team that's overdue. I found a thousand ways to support her and show her I care. How could she have missed them all? "You never even suspected?"

"Well, maybe a little." Elizabeth smiled. God I love it when she does that.

oOo

How could I not have suspected? I had noticed them spending time together. She was an attractive blonde, he had his eccentric charm…I sighed inwardly, once again feeling sorry for myself. However, my lighthearted teasing and smile seemed to have placated Rodney somewhat, calming his nerves. I decided to get to the crux of the matter. I squeezed his arm in reassurance where my hand lay, and said, "To be honest, Rodney, I'm a little hurt you didn't feel you could come to me about this. I would hope that our friendship would make you feel like you could be open with me about your feelings."

He placed a hand tentatively over mine, and looked at me with a furrowed brow. "Even this?" His voice came out as a hopeful plea with astonishment thrown in for good measure.

That hopefulness is what killed me inside. _Could_ he have talked to me about this? Could I have sat there and endured him telling me how much he loved her, and would I please just bend the rules, once, just for him? Probably not. I imagined how his face would have lit up as he spoke about her, all her admirable personality traits, and how happy she made him. No, most certainly not; I couldn't have endured that. As hard as it was for me to tear myself away from those baby blues, I knew I needed to reestablish that professional distance. This conversation had brought my feelings to the forefront, and I just couldn't deal with that right now. I stood and walked in front of my desk, pacing briefly before leaning back against it. I folded my arms in front of me and continued in a more formal tone. "No, I suppose not this. As the leader of this base and your direct superior, the situation would be awkward at best. Besides, it's not exactly something I can let slide, Rodney."

My words hung in the air a few moments. He had been looking more and more crestfallen since I had put that distance between us. Now, I began to wonder if I had made the right decision. If he was this upset over calling off a fledgling relationship, maybe he really had something special with Dr. Heightmeyer. Who was I to interfere? I looked down at the floor. "So, now that I know," I said gently, "what do we do about it?" It was as much of an out as I could offer him. If he really wanted the rules bent for him, he would have to ask.

Rodney looked up sharply. "I don't think there's much 'we' can do. It's up to you, isn't it? Although I can see you've already made your decision," Rodney snarkily replied, but there was no bite in his voice.

I nodded, straightening my posture. Fine, if he wanted to play the 'you're my boss' card now, I could do that. "You're right. The military has regulations prohibiting the fraternization of its personnel."

oOo

I stood and gaped at her, incredulous. "Frat regs? You're pulling out frat regs on me?" Of all the rejections I've gotten, which is more than I'd like to admit, this had to be the lamest excuse I'd ever heard. "That doesn't even make sense for us, we're both civilians!"

Elizabeth shook her head. "We're all civilians working for the military, on a militarily funded mission. We're under their jurisdiction so we have to follow their rules, even me," she added with a shrug.

I never expected Elizabeth to give me the brush off, especially one as blatantly callous and contrived as this; and people think that I'm the insensitive one! I had always counted on Elizabeth to be honest with me. It was one of the reasons I trusted her and came to care for her. Now, I didn't feel like I could trust anything anymore. "Why don't you just admit how you really feel?" I spat. Elizabeth's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, so I think I surprised her with that little comment. "I'm an embarrassment to you!" I continued. "I'm not good enough, is that it?"

Elizabeth recovered quickly. She even seemed a little relieved. "No, of course not! Rodney, you're the smartest man in this expedition—in the whole galaxy, actually. You should know better than to think that I would let something like this affect my opinion of your performance."

I sat back down and scrubbed my hands over my face in frustration. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." I growled into my hands and wondered, not for the first time, why she was acting this way. I met her brown eyes looking down at me and said, "I thought we were friends."

She came and sat beside me, placing her hand on my shoulder. I flinched at the contact and wanted to withdraw from her touch, but found I didn't really have the energy. "We _are _friends, Rodney, but first and foremost I am the leader of this base, and I can't make exceptions to the rules based on my personal feelings."

My eyes moved to meet hers, and I began examining her face for any trace of hidden meaning behind those words. Was it possible that all that junk about frat regs wasn't just an excuse to blow me off? If not, why was she hiding…I realized my eyes had lingered a little too long in the vicinity of her lips, and I looked away, hopefully before she noticed. Silly, I know, considering the circumstances, but insecurity is a hard bug to squash.

"I don't see why not," I continued our conversation. "You broke the Geneva conventions, bending a few frat regs should be nothing." I knew my words were harsh, but I was frustrated and hurt and it seemed like a good enough excuse.

Elizabeth looked at me for a moment, but I pointedly avoided her gaze. She sighed, then gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I know it's hard, but there are other ways of spending time together that might not seem so bad, if you give it a chance."

I groaned and cast her an irritated glare. "Elizabeth, are you saying we can still be friends?" I said mockingly.

She smiled a little at that. "I don't see any harm in that," she said in a quiet voice that I can only assume she intended to be comforting.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in aggravation, but I already knew I'd eventually agree. I've known for a while that I'd be lost without Elizabeth Weir, so it came as no surprise that I would take her any way I could get her. "Are we done here?" I asked, allowing exasperation and irritation to lace my words. "Because I have a lot of lab work to do, and—"

"Of course, Rodney." She seemed to hesitate a moment, then rose to her feet. "If you see Dr. Heightmeyer before dinner, will you send her to my office?" I frowned at the comment. I knew it! Sneaky psychologists…

I nodded, then turned and headed for the door, but something stopped me before I reached it. I might never get this chance again. "Elizabeth…" I mustered every last shred of my courage to address her. "For what it's worth, I think you're making a mistake. I… We had something special. I…would have been good for you…" I wanted to say more, but the last of my treacherous courage abandoned me, and I ducked out the door and beat a hasty retreat towards the mess hall. I needed coffee and chocolate, and I needed them now!

oOo

I was frozen, my gaze locked on the empty doorway Rodney had just vacated. I'm relatively certain I was doing my best impression of a goldfish.

My gob smacked brain could do nothing for a moment but replay his last words over and over, like the record in my head had skipped its track. Slowly, I began replaying the entire conversation over again. I'm sure the casual observer outside my office could have been watching my face and clearly seen the moment all the jagged puzzle pieces clicked together to make one clear picture. I immediately felt relief, then guilt, followed closely by panic. I had to fix this, even if it meant eating every last one of the words I'd just spoken.

I dashed out of my office and down the corridor like I had a hungry Wraith on my tail, earning me more than a few strange looks. I found Rodney not too far away, just down the corridor from the mess. "Rodney!" I called after him, out of breath. "I think we've had a miscommunication."

oOo

Author's notes: Poor Rodney, he gets his emotions yanked around like a yo-yo in this chapter! Hopefully it's not too confusing.


	3. Revealed

Author's notes: This is kind of a fun little Sheyla epilogue, totally an after thought, from Teyla's POV

oOo

Part 3: Epilogue

"It worked!" John said, bursting in to my quarters with a thought. I have found he sometimes forgets about common decency when it involves the use of his Ancient abilities. "Teyla! It worked!" he continued excitedly.

"Yes, John. I know," I said it with little enthusiasm, and I did not look at him.

"What?" John asked puzzled. "Wait, how could you know already? I just now saw Weir running down the hall like a bat out of hell and calling Rodney's name."

Although his statement made little sense to me, I refrained from asking for an explanation. "I was speaking of events earlier this afternoon, on my walk with Dr. Weir," I responded coolly. John, however, is not considered perceptive even by Earth standards, and he did not catch that I was upset.

"Oh, yeah, how'd that go? You bump into McKay and Heightmeyer like I thought you would?" He raised his eyebrows and nodded, implying he was already certain of the answer, but needed placating.

"Yes, I saw them, and Dr. Weir responded just as you suspected to the implication that doctors Heightmeyer and McKay were…an 'item.'" I tested the unfamiliar word, but it still did not feel right.

John clapped his hands together eagerly. "Jealous! I knew it!" he was so energetic he was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet, reminding me of Dr. McKay after he has found the solution to a particularly vexing problem.

"Yes," I sighed dramatically, having seen this technique used by women from Earth with varying degrees of success. "That is good for you," I concluded with another sigh.

John squinted at me, his brows furrowed. I interpreted this to mean I had been successful in making him understand my mood. "It's good for us both," he said, taking my hand in his. "C'mon, Teyla. You're not still mad that I made you tell a little white lie, are you?"

I resisted his boyish pout. "I doubt you could ever _make_ me do anything, John Sheppard," I said with the hint of a smile. "But you know my people value honesty and friendship highly. I still find it difficult to understand why such measures must be taken."

John grunted. I shared his frustration, but for different reasons. "We've been over this. We had to get them to admit their feelings for each other, so that Elizabeth would at least bend the frat regs for civilians. That leaves her free to date her 'irresistible' scientist." He used what I have come to know as air quotes. I am still unclear as to why doing such an action in the Earth language imparts a word with its opposite meaning. "And since you're a civilian…sort of," he wobbled his hand, "that means we don't have to go sneaking around Atlantis any more. And," he eyes sparkled, "no more paying blackmail to Kavanaugh!"

I felt my cheeks tinge at the thought of exactly _how _the disagreeable scientist had discovered John and I a few weeks ago. "I do not believe my cousin Shegan enjoyed being set up with him."

"And I'll never have to do another load of his laundry. Seriously, you do **not** want to know about some of the things that guy wears." I saw John shudder, and was glad I did not share whatever mental picture had caused it. "So you see, getting Elizabeth and Rodney together was the only prudent course of action. They're both incredibly stubborn, and Elizabeth as you know can lock herself into a decision, so drastic measures and a little covert ops were needed. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

I resisted asking what omelets had to do with romance. There was much about Earth customs and culture that I had yet to learn. I did not see why romance between compatible people was forbidden among those considered warriors, or why people who cared for each other would hide those feelings. I had always been taught to love without fear, for the Wraith may come tomorrow and today may be your last. Perhaps I could teach this lesson to the people of Earth, as I have learned so much from them.

"So," John said, drawing my attention back to him. "Am I forgiven for making you do evil, immoral things?"

I smiled at him. "Of course."

"Good! Now all this matchmaking has made me hungry. Let's go raid Rodney's stash of powerbars and chocolate!"

I smiled and followed John towards Dr. McKay's lab. I did not mention that the mess hall would be a much easier option for obtaining food, for I understood that this was not the point. This was, to put it simply, John's way of showing affection for his friends.


	4. Clarity

Author: Porthos

Author's notes: Okay, as requested, here's a little diddy about what happened in the hallway after Elizabeth caught up with Rodney. I know, it's really, **_really_** late, sorry!

Unbeta'd. Starts out in Rodney's POV.

oOo

I continued down the corridor, and something of my mood must have shown on my face. Marines and lab techs got out of my way like I was Moses parting the Red Sea. Even Major Sheppard greeted me morosely when I passed him in the hall. One look at me and he seemed to get the message: "Leave me alone."

I was almost to the mess hall when I heard Elizabeth calling my name. What else could she want? Wasn't ripping my heart out and stomping on it enough for one day? I turned around to see her looking disheveled, breathless, and very happy. "Rodney!" she called again. "I think we've had a miscommunication."

I sighed deeply. "No, Elizabeth, trust me. You were very clear. So if you don't mind—"

"No, Rodney listen! I just…and you and Kate…see I thought…I mean you were…"

oOo

Why couldn't I just say it? My entire career was based on my excellent language skills, and now, at the most crucial moment of my life, in front of this man, I couldn't even form a coherent thought, let alone a complete sentence. So I did the only thing I could under the circumstances, and I kissed him.

oOo

Okay, I definitely wasn't expecting that.

As much as I would have loved to just sink into the amazing sensation of Elizabeth's lips on mine, I couldn't help thinking that she really needed to go see Carson, or Kate, because she was acting insane. With no small amount of effort on my part, I pulled away from Elizabeth and looked at her suspiciously. "Elizabeth, what's going on? One minute you're spouting the virtues of regulations _against_ fraternization, and the next—"

"That was before!" she interrupted.

"Before? Before what! It was five minutes ago!" I was angry and frustrated, and even though the last thing I wanted to do was take it out on Elizabeth, it was difficult not to, seeing as she was the cause of it all.

"Before I knew it was me!" she answered. Yep, she definitely needs to head to the infirmary. "Rodney, I only said that because Teyla said you and _Kate_ were…but that's not important right now. Rodney, you were right! We do have something special, I'm just sorry it took me this long to realize it!" Her voice got soft as she asked, "Please tell me I didn't screw this up for us, Rodney."

I could only stare back at her. What did she mean, _Teyla_ had said…Of course! This afternoon, in the northeast corridor! But that would mean everything she said in her office, it had been about Kate…

oOo

I watched Rodney for a while, as he put the pieces together and came to the same conclusion I did. The entire time, my eyes never left his face, but his expression was unreadable. The silence between us seemed to stretch forever, until finally, I asked, "Rodney, please say something."

His eyes snapped into focus, and he looked hard into mine. "No," he said. I felt my expression frown, and my lower lip trembled. It was too late, in my carelessness I had ruined anything he might feel for me. "I'm not going to say anything, because words just complicate things." His mouth turned into a smirk, and I had about a split second to realize what was happening before his lips were on mine.

It seemed to last forever and only a moment all at the same time. All too soon, Rodney pulled away, but didn't release me from his arms, a smug expression on his face. "So," he said, "you were jealous."

I couldn't help but smile. "Maybe."

"You know," Rodney began, acting thoughtful, "your actions today show a blatant abuse of your power, as well as an inequality in how you enforce the regulations of this base, Dr. Weir. If you're not careful, I might report you to Kavanaugh," he smiled, teasing.

Not willing to be outdone, I assumed my diplomatic, professional air as well. "Hmm, you're right, Dr. McKay. In that case, what we're doing right now would be considered a flagrant violation of the regulations. We should probably stop." I attempted half-heartedly to extricate myself from his arms, but he held fast, and began kissing my neck.

"Although," he breathed, "I might be willing to let it slide…"

Rodney kissed me again, and I felt my knees go weak. I was completely wrapped up in the warmth of his arms and lips, and I knew if we didn't take this into closed quarters _soon_, I was going to lose it. "Then why don't we go back to my office and discuss it?" I asked as I pressed my cheek to his.

"My lab is closer." He began nuzzling my neck, and I started to giggle despite myself. Today really was shaping up to be a pretty good day.

As we made our way to Rodney's lab, hand in hand, I couldn't help but say to him, "Remind me to thank Teyla and John, the next time we see them." He simply smiled and kissed me again as the transporter doors closed with a satisfying whoosh.

oOo

Author's notes 2: I wonder who gets to McKay's lab first… ;P

Well, I hope this satisfies the smoochie quota that this fic seemed to need. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. :D


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